The death of Sigismund was unexpected and came as a shock. But he died happy knowing that his people had finally found home. The always helpful and smiling Dwarf assisted me so many more times that I can say and, with all certainty, he helped me to become the Ruler I am today. For those brief moments we shared together, he was like a mentor to me. For Freya, he was like a father. She cried after his death like all Dwarves but, like them, she wasn't inconsolable. After all, he wouldn't want that.

  He will be remembered as a gentle and wise King who restored the Dwarven Kingdom. Sigismund the Restorer, the first King under the Mountain. He would rest in the Chamber of Heroes and sleep an eternal sleep alongside Vernon. In my opinion, he left a worthy successor. Bjorn Silverhand was always calm and quiet. He was reliable, intelligent, and patient but maybe sometimes he was self-deprecating a little too much. Before everyone separated for the evening, we sat in a private room with Bjorn, his wife Eri, Ragnar, and Verni. Bjorn was still in shock.

  "I can't be a King, my Lord..." He said in a trembling whisper. "I have no idea how to be one."

  "Don't worry. You will catch up along the way." I smiled smugly at him. "I didn't know a thing about the job before you all started calling me your King..."

  "But... My Lord..." He cringed, but his wife put her hand on his shoulder with a soft smile.

  My wives gave him an amused gaze.

  "You will be an excellent King, my Dear." She said it with a smile, as if she wasn't fully aware of the implications of what she just said, and grabbed his hand with an encouraging smile.

  Maybe it was slightly petty of me, but I couldn't wait for the moment Eri realised it meant she was a Queen. I really hoped not to miss the moment. It was a shame that Sigismund would miss it... He would certainly have loved it. I focused on the man whose skilled hands made most of the woodwork in my palace. A man I considered my friend.

  "The King is dead, Bjorn." I patted his shoulder and continued with an encouraging voice. "Long live the King... Sigismund believed all three of you to be worthy of being his successors. It may seem to you now that you have pulled the shortest straw, but long ago I made an observation that served me well for my entire life. Nothing happens without a reason."

  "Yes, Sir..." He took a deep breath. "I will do my best."

  "You are not alone, my Love..." Eri nodded.

  "Indeed. You have your Queen to help!" Freya clapped both hands on Eri's shoulders from behind.

  It was clear that the girl didn't understand at first but the complicated transformation of her facial expression as it went from surprise through shock to horror was so amusing that we all laughed.

  ???

  We held the funeral a few days later, at which we invited the leaders of our alliance, who arrived with a small army of nobles. Sigismund was a great King after all, even if they didn't know him. However, paying their respect was just an excuse for most of them to see the Arcadian City. Their excitement was properly masked and they wore solemn masks, but their excitement was noticeable nonetheless. To their credit, they didn't try to strike bargains or do any kind of business. They even refrained from attempting to buy anything. Not that they would succeed, considering that basically the entire city stopped for that one day. However, their conduct even shocked their own rulers, who seemed to watch them closely, which suggested they expected the worst. Yet, there was not a single incident during Sigismund's funeral and nobles returned home without any drama.

  "That went suspiciously good..." Guad finally relaxed when the last Metakan nobles boarded the airships and returned to their homes.

  "I was really expecting them to do something stupid..." Varis Aclium sipped his whiskey with the empty stare of someone completely drained.

  "You have no idea..." Victor Iceleon covered his face. "I heard from my wife that so many noble ladies claimed they were going shopping after the funeral, I was dying of anxiety..."

  "Well, my own nobles recently did something stupid so I have no right to say anything..." I sighed.

  My wives scooped Theresa, Blanca, Roannia, and Eri away and retreated to Freya's private quarters. We were going to discuss a few things before heading home as well. I had sent Tommy home with Sebastian and Quentin earlier but I should probably just briefly inform everyone about him. They had already seen him anyway.

  "As you probably noticed, I have a son," I said calmly. "However, for now, that's all I will disclose about him. Once he turns ten, I will officially introduce him. I hope you understand."

  "Of course." Varis shrugged. "That's a normal thing."

  Guad and Victor simply nodded in acknowledgement but I saw their slight disappointment.

  "There is one thing we should discuss together, including Bjorn." Everyone looked at the new Dwarven King who slightly flinched but remained calm. "Thanks to the late Sigismund, Darius's Dam will be finished a few years early. While I didn't understand why he directed so much effort into the project back then, I never stopped him. Now everything became obvious. If not for his foresight, I would have to withdraw from the project, straining our alliance even further. Instead, he used it to train thousands of Crafters and Engineers, accelerating the project and finishing it in time for the Dam to be operational next week. We could close the bypass channel and start gathering water."

  "Lord Sigismund deeply believed that we should finish that project as soon as possible. He believed that if Metaka turned into desert, it would irreversibly change the climate of the entire continent." Bjorn quietly explained. "Politics and Arcadian projects weren't endangered by his decision so we followed his orders on the matter. Now, when I see how serious the food shortage has become for the entire alliance, I can only be thankful for his foresight. If we hadn't increased the workforce as he allocated back then, we couldn't possibly do it now. Not with all rescues and increased military production."

  "Indeed..." I sighed and took a sip of my whiskey. "I can only be grateful. With Lake Hope filling with water, we can leave Metaka and Iceleon with clean consciences that they will be fine. Even if I’m forced to stop supplying Iceleon completely."

  "Don't worry about it. With water flowing again, we will be able to recultivate the land destroyed by drought." Guad smiled. "We have already started construction of farmers' villages across the highlands and plains. I must say that your Architects and Engineers were unbelievably helpful with that... The layouts they proposed on how to divide the land between individual farms would revolutionise Metakan and Iceleon farming. Even Varis and Tawal sent their people to take notes!"

  "Indeed." The Bearkin slowly nodded. "I'm not sure if that particular method will help in Ebrus, but I can't wait for the first students to return. They already sent notes to their parents with instructions on how to prepare the soil and even what and how they should plant... Their enthusiasm is spreading across my Kingdom."

  "The irrigation channels and new crops have caused an uproar in Aclium." Varis smiled to no one in particular. "The water wheels, pumps, and so much more already allowed us to cultivate land in places thus far considered unsuitable. That alone increased Aclium's food production area by roughly fifteen percent. With this and the lands of former Nar'verna and Vetulia, Aclium is finally self-sufficient. We should even produce a surplus for the first time in five centuries!"

  "That's certainly good news!" I exhaled with relief. "How about the water production centres, Victor?"

  "Melting installations are ready to start processing ice and snow at any moment. So far, the installations have been working in basically idle mode. Just barely enough for their crews to train and figure out supply methods. We are ready to flood Metaka." The Icelonian King smiled and raised his glass. "For King Sigismund the Restorer who restored much more than just the Dwarven Nation!"

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  ???

  Uvar Knys was sitting in the pew in the busy silence of the Dwarven mausoleum and watched the flame of the candle he lit. Around him, thousands of people arrived to pay their respects to the late Dwarven King. To his friend. He expected to be depressed and uneasy, as he usually was at funerals, but he wasn't. In fact, the thousands of candles and their warm glow were incredibly calming. It was a custom spread by the Emperor but it wasn't unknown earlier. He knew that the Wolfkins believed that the light of a candle guided the souls of their dead to the Gods. Now, when he was sitting alone and watching the candles burn, he had to admit there was something poetic in those tiny flames. The smaller candles, lit a few hours ago, were already burned out or were close to it.

  "Like a life... We all start as a faint glow in the darkness before we shine brighter during our lives." He said to himself with a thoughtful smile. "Then we flick out when our wick ends..."

  "Sir?" A young man passing by looked at him in surprise.

  "It's nothing..." Knys waved his hand and fell silent.

  Sigismund was his friend. The two of them shared a dream of changing the world. At least Sigismund managed to fulfil that dream before he died. He was a great King and even a better friend. In comparison, Knys was the same old fool he was before he found himself in Avalon. However... Sigismund was right when he said the two of them were never meant to change the world but only start what was necessary. In that manner, he succeeded...

  "Farewell, my Friend..."

  ???

  Galahad stopped for a moment among the ashes of the burning forest and lowered his head. Lord Sigismund was one of the people who was never really afraid of him. They spent long hours discussing many subjects and Galahad suspected that it had helped him tremendously in his own development. His ascent to a pinnacle Death King wouldn't have been without the patience and help of the old Dwarven King. Perhaps, even his awakening wouldn't have been possible without Sigismund. Galahad would miss their chats and discussions. Maybe he should try the poetry Lord Sigismund suggested before Galahad was deployed to the Ancient Forest?

  The ground shook under the Titan's walking in the wake of the Immortal Legions. Avalon's Wrath raised his runic cannon and aimed it at a group of Vespids that tried to take cover in the dried bed of a stream. They still hadn't figured out how to build trenches themselves but Galahad appreciated that they were learning their place. Bugs should crawl under the rocks and hide in the cracks of dirt, after all. They don't deserve much more. The hum of the magic coils reached the characteristic point when everyone knew the Titan would fire, a moment of silence before a low, buzzing eruption of force. The bugs' hideout was obliterated with all its pathetic defenders.

  "We found another group of executed slaves, Sir." One of the Slimes reported, appearing right next to Galahad.

  "I'm afraid that, from now on, Vestargo will immediately execute them to prevent them from falling into our hands. Lord Theon is almost certain of it."

  "We will keep searching."

  "Good luck." Galahad nodded briefly.

  The Immortal Legions were redeployed and Vestargo lost his momentum. It was now clear that he couldn't sustain the war of attrition he seemingly preferred. Facing the undead, his bugs were inferior in every single aspect except for sheer numbers. But numbers meant nothing against the quality of the Arcadian forces. A single legionnaire could easily take out hundreds of bugs before he was overcome by the enemy. The undead were restless, pun intended, while bugs had pathetic amounts of stamina and simply couldn't keep up with the fight. However, Galahad felt a change in the pace of the battles and how significantly easier they became. It was almost as if Vestargo had received a blow that irreversibly crippled him.

  In a sense, it was the truth.

  A million living people had the potential to generate millions, even hundreds of millions of mana points during their lifetime. Even if Vestargo simply intended to kill them to gain mana from their deaths, the amount of mana they would create was unimaginable. What was even more unimaginable was the fixed income from that graveyard. Galahad couldn't fathom why Vestargo needed such an absurd amount of mana. If his upkeep was so tremendous, then what did he possibly have hidden? What kind of Dungeon had he created?

  "My Lord?" Galahad inquired after a moment of hesitation.

  "Yes, Galahad?" The answer came immediately, full of attention and blazing like a sun within Galahad's mind.

  "I have made a disturbing observation but I'm afraid that I'm missing something important. If I'm correct, Vestargo's mana income should allow him to easily crush us with a constant stream of denizens alone, my Lord. But, if anything, his forces have significantly degraded. Not only in their quality and quantity, but also in their performance."

  "You are trying to guess what he is spending his mana on?"

  "Yes, my Lord." Galahad resumed his march. "I believe that might be helpful..."

  "It might, but the problem with guessing is that it's completely unreliable and, in this particular case, it's a waste of time. Because, to confirm our guesses, we have to infiltrate his Dungeon. I can assure you that once we find him, I won't be asking questions..."

  "It's not what I meant, my Lord." Galahad quickly tried to correct. "I know that the Dungeons need mana to expand, pay their upkeep, and also develop new things. You have every skill thanks to the Eriar's blessings you called cheats. What I am asking is if it's possible that Vestargo needs all that mana just to pay his upkeep?"

  The Emperor was silent for a full minute before he responded.

  "It is possible, however, it is very unlikely. You should be more concerned with the possibility of a large-scale ambush instead of considering that we might have crippled Vestargo sufficiently. Still, you have valid conclusions from your observations." Theon Avalon's voice was calm. "You must understand, Galahad, that Vestargo is old. Wisdom does not always come with age but you can assume that the being you are fighting is extremely experienced. He conquered and expanded his territories for thousands of years. He survived the war with the Enemies and fought off all the adversaries who challenged him so far. He is dangerous and I would rather assume he is trying to lull us into a sense of security rather than we have crippled him."

  "That is possible, my Lord." Galahad agreed.

  ???

  "There is a moment and a sudden movement. A camera rolls into a dark room lit with only a single candle, its flickering light-"

  "What the hell?! How did you get it in-"

  The guard never finished his sentence as his head burst into bloody pieces.

  "Shut up! You are ruining the mood!" The voice growled, the man cleared his throat and took, once again, the same slightly mysterious pose as earlier. "As I said... A single candle was trying to illuminate the dark room but its flickering light barely reached the widely smiling face..."

  The remaining guards grunted in panic, gripping their swords nervously, and powerlessly watching a grotesque, maniacal smile emerge from the sudden darkness.

  "From Clown's Diary!" The man behind the horrifying smile exclaimed with sick glee.

  The man dashed between the Guards and killed the remaining two with a single strike of his wide cleaver. As the bodies slumped to the floor, he snuck to the wall and lowered his voice. Although, it was loud enough for everyone to hear him anyway.

  "Day four. I infiltrated the Ibrevellian castle. No one saw me. No one knew about my presence. I'm like the wind. Like the wind..." The desperate cries from somewhere nearby, urging the guards to find the intruder, starkly contrasted his words but those were insignificant details. "I will soon learn all the dark secrets of the Elves. So far, I'm terrified by the degree of their debauchery..."

  He opened a few absolutely normal cupboards and looked at normal, clean, white porcelain plates with disgust. Without a single pause, he continued with a few more cupboards until he found one with a couple of unopened bottles of wine and a plate with an unfinished sandwich.

  "They are clearly indulging themselves in excessive amounts of alcohol and their gluttony is horrifying." He continued with theatrical shock in his voice. "By the order of my Lady, I will put a stop to their evil deeds!"

  Before he slammed the cupboard closed, he took all the wine. The bottles disappeared into his holding item and Jester slowly left the room. The entire Ibrevellian palace was in uproar but they weren't prepared for what was about to come. During his travels, he had met many interesting and sometimes funny people. His personal favourite was Pyonta but Gorrak the Magebarian was also amusing. However, they were never meant to stay with him in his quest to spread memes across Nilmerthis. Their short lives were unsuitable for that quest. That's why he had to bid them farewell. Pyonta was still married when he last checked, which was odd since it wasn't exactly funny... Anyway, she seemed happy, so it was, probably, fine. He left Gorrak somewhere on the plains since the Magebarian started babbling something about gathering the nomads and protecting them. That's why Jester travelled alone for a while.

  Until he found a secret valley inhabited by the most majestic creature he had ever seen. A creature that he immediately recognised and, to his delight, wanted to aid Jester in his efforts. Now, the Ibrevellian Elves will tremble... From the depths of the castle came a single sound that, after which, only despair could follow.

  "HONK!"

  Thank you all for reading.

  I wish you all a great day and as always I wait for your comments.

  A big thanks to who edited the chapter!

  The map of Aderon is on my Discord :)

  https://discord.gg/G6SVrBeDdG